One correspondent wrote that he had not beheved he would 

 like Runners and so killed all his drakes the first fall. A year 

 from the following December, he wrote me saying that the ducks 

 had begun laying in February and "I still get some eggs." This 

 letter came Dec. 8, from New York state. 



One man stated that 115 ducks had, one morning, produced 

 117 eggs. This can come, of course, only through some duck 

 maturing two eggs in less than 34 hours. It is very exceptional, 

 but I have seen similar reports published in several instances. One, 

 with affidavit, was of 98 eggs from 96 ducks. But, of course, no 

 one expects or asks for such results. Such reports come at the 

 height of the season, and probably under forced feeding. Mr. 

 Scott, the man claiming the 320-egg record, states that he did not 

 force this duck, except at the last, when he feared she would just 

 miss a 300-egg record. 



I do not think it either wise, or just, to insist that people 

 believe a private record which far transcends any average ex- 

 perience even with birds well-cared for. I do not know Mr. 

 Scott, except through his circular and correspondence. I have 

 sometimes prided myself on my knowledge of human nature, 

 however, and Mr. Scott seems to me to be a man of honest inten- 

 tion. He has furnished me with his feeding formula, which will 

 be found in another chapter. I bought this information for the 

 benefit of the farm contingent of Runner breeders. It does not 

 differ so much from average practice as one might expect. Mr. 

 Scott believes especially that birds expected to lay heavily should 

 be well matured before beginning their work. 



The New Hampshire farmer who wrote of the 117 eggs 

 from 115 ducks also wrote that they averaged 113 eggs a day 

 for nearly a month. But he added: "I don't dare tell this to 

 those who have had no experience with the Indian Runners, but 

 I know those who have will believe 'most anything of them." 



